


Progression

by tigereyes45



Category: Tales of Arcadia (Cartoons)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Future, Future Fic, M/M, OT3, my first time writing an ot3
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-28
Updated: 2019-06-28
Packaged: 2020-05-28 17:27:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,389
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19398925
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tigereyes45/pseuds/tigereyes45
Summary: Steve and Eli have been happily dating since the year after they graduated high school. Yet the two both know that the other never really got over pining over Jim. They reached peace with that years ago, but when news comes that Jim may be returning will they finally tell him?





	Progression

It had been a long time. A very long time indeed since anything strange happened in Arcadia. Troll-kind was well known by the humans. A little more each day they were becoming accepted by them. The Akiridion royal family became the first aliens to live co-aside humans. Morando chased off and the royal family occasionally moving back and forth between the two planets. Representative Aja was almost always on Earth while her little brother Krel rarely ever came back.

Slowly all of this had become normal to Arcadia. While the rest of the world was slower to accept the changes. The drama of it all slowly left Arcadia. Leaving a simple town with simple humans, trolls, and aliens living their simple lives. Even Eli and Steve had managed to find some peace in it all.

Eli ran a blog alongside Mary. The blog was about all things troll, and alien. The two would go out and ask several people questions proposed by their viewers. It was meant to be a way for everyone to learn more about each other and smooth relations. Eli liked to think they were helping, and he often engaged the trolls and aliens in philosophical debates and asked questions after their histories. While Mary took over the less polite questions. Eli had to admit they had made a pretty good team.

Then there was Steve. He became a police officer as well as a substitute teacher for gym class at Arcadia Oaks High. Something old Coach Lawrence appreciated how many days he had to take off recently for his health. He enjoyed the teaching more than he would ever admit. Steve refused to make it seem as if he was following in his step-father’s steps. He had a reputation to uphold after all. Out of their graduating class, only sixty percent of the class had left town and twenty of those people had come back. So there was plenty who knew him in high school who had years of foolish behavior to hold over his head. As a police officer, he was slowly overcoming his past image.

Or so Steve likes to think. Some people will never really forget.

The two were actually having a nice lunch. It was one of the rare days they both had free time. When they could stop and just chat about life. They both avoided work. Steve never really understood Eli’s job, and Eli never really understood why Steve didn’t just do the job he loved instead of moving back and forth between the two.

It can be surmised that they just never saw eye to eye. Never at all, save for three topics.

The first was, of course, their opinions over the trolls and aliens. Eli had been scared at first. Yet he was quick to overcome the fear as a teenager. Older folks had trouble overcoming their fears. Eli can understand and while he does not excuse the behavior he does hope eventually everyone can outgrow their fears. Steve had been angry and scared too. He had also grown, and the two became fast advocates for all of their new friends. They had just as much right to be around as anyone. Their opinions on this would never change. In fact, most of their conversations were about some branch of this wide topic.

The second was where the best places to eat in town were. Personally, the taco truck would always be Steve’s favorite. It was a close second for Eli. He preferred Strickler’s knew home cafe. Steve did love the sandwiches there. The kids always running around and talking to everyone made the place feel homely. Although for most introverts it would be an awful place to be, Eli saw it as an easy place to relax in. As the children were polite enough not to touch his stuff but never held back any of their curiosity. It was fun, and it was a pleasant way to see old faces.

The third was Jim. He had been lovingly gifted the nickname Troll!Jim by some of the adopted children of Strickler and Dr. Lake. He rarely came by for a visit. Both Steve and Eli would have liked those visits to be more often. They had helped his mother built a new home closer to downtown. It had three floors and ten rooms. Not nearly enough for all the children but enough for the ones they had let out of the crystal. When the construction was done they helped her remodel her old home. While nearly a hundred volunteers had worked on the downtown home the remodeling of the Lake house was a more private affair. It took precisely a crew of ten professionals, eight human volunteers, including Steve and Eli, as well one troll.

Aaarrrgghh!!! made quick work of carrying all the supplies they needed. With everyone working so hard they were able to add a few feet in height and length of a porch onto the house. The giant hole in her basement was also worked on to be a better motive for travel. One used often by new trolls and Strickler. It became a wayward in-between home before acclimation could begin. It also became where Eli got most of his answers and experience with trolls from.

Back to the moment, they were sitting outside said cafe. The children were inside running orders back and forth or heading up to their rooms. Steve and Eli had a chance to take up one of the rarely open seats outside. Steve was nearly finished with his grilled cheese and chocolate mocha. Eli however, was taking his time picking at the bits of meat in the chicken soup he ordered. His black coffee top with a large layer of whipped cream sat almost completely untouched to his left. Even the meals here was homely.

Eli grimaces at his full cup. For some reason, he had been extra distracted today. Caught up in a whirlwind of nostalgia. It was only when Steve reached out and rested his hand on top of Eli’s that the blogger looks at him. There was a lopsided smile on his face. It was so naturally him. Eli smiles back but he knows his own was a simple shadow appearing in the sun that was Steve. His whole aura was the embodiment of light.

“I have some good news.” Steve changes the topic with a simple statement.

“Oh, what kind?” Eli asks as he wraps his other hand over the small pile of theirs.

“Guess who’s coming back.”

“Hmm, Krel,” Eli knows the guess is wrong. He said it only teasingly but the little flash of jealousy that passes over Steve’s face was adorable. Eli squeezes Steve’s hand gently. “Who?”

“Rumor is Jim is. Walt Junior told me this morning when I stopped by for breakfast before the rounds.”

Eli frowns but pushes through. He had asked Steve to start eating breakfast at home. Afterall he had gone out and brought all the groceries for making breakfast. After their first month of living together, Steve had been dedicated to learning how to cook. They had gone through more groceries in the following week after then they had for the rest of the three months they’ve been living together. After that week Steve had given up on cooking, but Eli still holds out hope.

“That’s great! Do you know when?”

Steve shakes his head and pulls his hand free from their pile. “Not sure, but we’ll know when he gets here.”

Eli looks back into the cafe. Under the large Young Atlas Cafe sign was an old changeling. His green skin looks paler then it had before. His ears drooped a little now. Yet there was a soft smile on his face as he rings in another order. One of the elder children who was almost twelve now was standing next to him. A polite smile on her face as she waits to be handed the paper. Despite all the racing around, he knows that when Jim gets back not a single one of them will be helping in that cafe.

Eli looks back at Steve. He finally picks up his coffee and takes a long sip. He sits it back down as he licks the whipped cream off of his face. “Yes, we will.”


End file.
